European wool carder bee – doing what it says on the tin!
Photo posted for natural history interest. This is the first time I've seen a European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum), an introduced species in New Zealand, "carding" material from a plant. The bees scrape hair from leaves – in this case a native everlasting daisy (Anaphalioides bellidioides) – and carry that material bundled beneath their bodies to be used as a nest lining.
European wool carder bee – doing what it says on the tin!
Photo posted for natural history interest. This is the first time I've seen a European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum), an introduced species in New Zealand, "carding" material from a plant. The bees scrape hair from leaves – in this case a native everlasting daisy (Anaphalioides bellidioides) – and carry that material bundled beneath their bodies to be used as a nest lining.